


Worry With a Side of Tea

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Anxiety, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28389459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: The more Giles learns about Angelus, Spike and Drusilla the more worried he becomes. Jenny thinks she has something to help.
Relationships: Jenny Calendar/Rupert Giles
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	Worry With a Side of Tea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cozy_coffee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cozy_coffee/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Not mine, Joss Whedon owns it
> 
> **Notes:** Written for cozy_coffee in comment_fic for the prompt Never underestimate the power of a cup of tea/coffee, it has the magic to calm a worried mind.

Giles sank down at his desk in the library, running his fingers through his hair. How had it thinned so much already? Wasn’t it long and thick just the other day? Of course, the ‘other day’ was twenty years ago. He blinked and here he was, middle-aged and worried sick. He should never have looked at the books he’d received from London. Yes, he’d asked for them, needed them but they brought no solace. Granted, he hadn’t expected them to.

Hearing footsteps, he jerked his head up, nearly displacing his glasses with his fingers. Jenny stood there with a tea tray. Before he could stand and help her, she sashayed in and put it on his desk. She dragged a chair over to his desk.

“What’s all this?” He gestured to the tray even though the answer was plain.

“You’re worried and you’re English. I’m sure you know to never underestimate the power of a cup of tea. It has the magic to calm a worried mind.” Jenny smiled. Oh, how pretty she was, he thought, still bemused this lovely, intelligent woman was in his life.

“I can’t argue that.” He poured for them both and popped two sugars into his tea, stirring.

“Tell me about what’s bothering you.”

Giles pushed the tomes toward her. “Just reading up on everything Spike, Drusilla, and Angelus did together. It was worse than I had ever imagined. Darla’s gone now which is a small measure of comfort, and the Master of course. Darla and Angelus made Myra Hindley and Ian Brady seem like angels. And it wasn’t just them with Spike and Drusilla. They had made other vampires from a select few individuals and made them into utter monsters. This one here.” He tapped one of the books. “has a story about Penn, who seemed to be a terrible character. They cut a swath of destruction all across the United Kingdom, Europe and into Asia.”

“It’s a tremendous achievement given the time period.” Jenny sipped her tea. “I mean, you don’t want to give props to evil vampires but that is impressive.”

“I can’t argue with that. China is where Spike killed his first Slayer and it was soon after Angelus parted ways with them, though I suppose he was Angel at that point, or the creature who’d become Angel.”

Jenny hung her head. She knew all too well what that quartet was capable of and her own people’s hand in forging Angel with the foolish loophole that would allow the monstrous Angelus to return. She took another sip of her tea.

“I believe that by knowing our enemy as well as we can will help us to defeat them, to keep Buffy and everyone safe,” he said, trying to recover the mood.

She nodded, a secretive look on her face. “I think you’re right.”

“Let’s talk about something else,” he said. This topic would only strain the fragile bond forming between them, and he was at his wits end with this anyhow. “Did you have a good day?”

Jenny smiled gratefully. She told him about her students and their antics. They made plans for dinner tomorrow. He didn’t know if it was the tea or the company, or more likely both, but he did feel comforted by the time he took Jenny home for the night. With life on the Hellmouth, he couldn’t hope for much more.


End file.
